


Loyalty

by DarkxPrince



Series: Tales of the Light [8]
Category: Destiny (Video Game)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-31
Updated: 2016-08-31
Packaged: 2018-08-12 04:48:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,632
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7921138
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DarkxPrince/pseuds/DarkxPrince
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ever since Astra was brought back to life as a Guardian, she has been searching for a way to redeem herself in the eyes of Mara Sov, the Queen of the Awoken. When Astra, Rayina, and Valeriya's journey to confront the Darkness forces them to consult the Awoken for help, perhaps Astra will finally have her chance.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Loyalty

_“How can I prove myself, my Queen?”_

It had been a plea more than it had ever been a question, one that constantly tormented Astra ever since her resurrection. This one burning desire had kept her moving, had driven her when all hope seemed lost, forcing her to overcome any enemy that stood in her way. Now here she was, finally … _finally_ able to fulfill that desire; to _finally_ redeem herself to her Queen and prove her loyalty. By the Nine, she had dreamed of this moment ever since the Ghost had revived her.  Dreamed of returning to the Reef and being accepted back into the Queen’s favor; more importantly, earning her forgiveness. Realistically, Astra knew it wasn’t going to be easy, that she wouldn’t be accepted just by returning. Still, nothing prepared her for how cold the Queen was, how dismissive the Queen of the Reef had been. It was as if all those years that Astra served faithfully as a Queen’s Guard had never happened at all.

Perhaps, then, the fault did lie with Astra, for dying on her mission; maybe for bringing other Guardians to the Reef to meet with the Queen. Yet what could she have done? They needed the help of the Awoken in order to find the Black Garden’s heart. The Human Titan, Valeriya, and the Awoken Warlock, Rayina, had been unwilling to let Astra meet with the Queen by herself. Apparently, even after months of fighting and travelling together, the other two Guardians didn’t trust her. She had tried to convince them that their presence would only make things worse; the Queen never had any love for those who were not Awoken of the Reef, and banned all others from entering her domain. As it was, Astra was taking a big risk of returning herself, and as a Guardian no less. She doubted many Awoken would be welcoming to her, let alone all three of them. Seeing no alternative though, Astra allowed them to accompany her to the Reef if they promised to let her handle everything. Astra figured that, if nothing else, she’d be able to keep things from escalating out of control during the meeting. Oh, how wrong she had been.

They had been greeted on approach to the Reef about as she had expected, with armed caution as Awoken ships escorted them the rest of the way. Upon entering the throne room, an Awoken male was waiting for them and it took Astra several seconds to recognize him. For several painful heartbeats, she believed that something had changed in her absence if Prince Uldren, the Queen’s brother, was waiting for them. “So, you’re the trespassers demanding an audience,” Uldren spoke.

“We didn’t intend to trespass,” Valeriya’s Ghost answered before Astra had a chance to speak. The Awoken Hunter glared over her shoulder, silently reminding them to remain quiet and to let her handle things.

Astra returned her full attention back to the Prince. “The Queen dictates who may or may not enter the Realm of the Awoken. Me,” Prince Uldren spoke as he slowly descended the stairs, “I see no reason why she should be available whenever something washes up at the Reef.” He stopped in front of them, a smirk slowly working its way along his lips. “Yet, here we are.”

Astra bowed her head slightly. “We came seeking your help.”

Something stepped out from behind the throne. It was a Titan’s Ghost, shouting “FALLEN!” Astra had meant to warn them, to stop both Valeriya and Rayina from doing something stupid, but she had been too slow.

Uldren’s knife was at her throat before she could shout a warning. The Awoken Guards behind the other two women reacted with lightning quick reflexes, their weapons leveled at her companion’s heads. Clutched in Valeriya’s hand was the Titan’s pistol, the female Warlock placed her hand on the Titan’s arm, slowly lowering it back to the other woman’s side. The Awoken Guard yanked the pistol out of Valeriya’s grip.

“It is afraid,” a new voice spoke from the throne. Astra stared past Uldren’s face to gaze at the Queen of the Awoken, Mara Sov. It took the female Hunter several seconds to realize that her Queen was referring to the human and not the Ghost. “It does not understand these Fallen are mine,” Mara Sov stated, reclining on her throne. Only then did Prince Uldren and the Guards sheathe their weapons, taking several steps away from them.

“We’re Guardians, seeking the Black Garden,” Astra remarked once she was certain that everyone had a chance to calm down.

“Why?” Uldren questioned, tilting his head to the side.

“We seek to destroy the Darkness at its heart,” Valeriya responded before Astra could. The Awoken Hunter couldn’t help but role her eyes. What part of “keep quiet and let me handle things” did the human woman _not_ understand?

“You wish to turn the Black Garden into a battleground,” the Prince slowly shook his head, “Tch, how unimaginative.”

“Will you help us?” Astra requested, gazing past Prince Uldren to where the Queen sat upon her throne.

“And why would we do that?” Uldren spoke, glaring down at Astra. She glared back up at him, unwilling to show any form of weakness, fighting against years of loyal service that urged her to be submissive. Several tense seconds passed as neither one of them were willing to back down.

“The Queen requests counsel with her brother,” Mara Sov’s voice cut through the air, breaking their stalemate. Astra saw Uldren roll his eyes before he returned to the Queen’s throne, kneeling next to it. Astra watched as they conversed, keeping her eyes on the Queen. As always, the Queen of the Awoken was as hard to read as Astra remembered her to be. The Awoken Hunter shifted from side to side under Mara Sov’s intense stare. Astra had forgotten how it constantly felt as though the Queen was staring straight into her soul.

“Why not,” Uldren chuckled, returning to his feet and facing the three Guardians. “We’ll make a key. All you need to do is bring us the head of a Vex Gate Lord.”

“Why do you need the head of a Vex?” Rayina finally spoke up, her inquisitive mind probably already running through dozens of possibilities.

“We don’t,” Uldren replied. “I doubt we’ll get one either. It’s your only chance of getting into the Black Garden, though.”

Eyes narrowed slightly Astra clenched her fists; she had forgotten how condescending the Prince of the Awoken was at times. “We’ll return,” Valeriya stated, her voice more confident than Astra felt.

“Or die on Venus,” Uldren remarked, clearly dismissing them and ending the audience.

Astra made to follow Valeriya and Rayina as they left, though something held her back. She glanced down at her armor, at the symbol of the Queen, which she had painted upon her chestplate. The chances that she would be accepted back were slim; they were practically non-existent if she was being truthful with herself. Still she had to know. At the very least, she had to try. She shared a look with her Ghost, her closest confidant ever since her resurrection. The little machine was the only one to truly know her heart and soul; knew her better than anyone else still alive. The Ghost nodded its oculist and floated off after the others. Taking a deep breath, Astra spun to face Mara and Uldren again.

Ignoring the other Queen’s Guard, the Fallen guards, and even the Prince himself, Astra strode right up to the steps leading to the throne. Clenching a fist, she placed it over the symbol upon her chestplate, dropping to a knee and bowing her head. “My Queen, may I speak to you in private?”

“Anything you need to say to my sister you can say to me,” Uldren scoffed.

Astra ignored him, staring up at the Queen, silently pleading with her. Mara Sov simply sat upon her throne, dispassionately staring back down at her. Finally, after several minutes of silence, the Queen of the Awoken merely waved her hand. “Leave us,” Mara spoke, her voice betraying nothing. Uldren looked about ready to retort when the Queen glanced sharply at her brother. He stormed off. The other guards left as well, and Astra was alone with Mara Sov.

Taking several calming breaths, Astra gathered her thoughts and courage. “For years I served as a loyal member of your guard. However, at the Battle of Twilight Gap I failed you, my Queen. I was killed, unable to complete my mission, and for that I could only beg forgiveness.”

“You would have me take you back, Astra Stathos, Blade of the Queen’s Guard?” Mara inquired. Astra should have been concerned that the Queen was able to see through her so easily. Still, hope blossomed within Astra’s chest; her Queen remembered … perhaps it was possible after all.

“I may have been resurrected as a Guardian, but I swear my loyalty has always been to the people of the Reef and to you, my Queen.” Astra gripped the cloak about her shoulders, the same cloak she had been given by the Speaker when she first became a Guardian. She tore it from her shoulders and cast it aside, head still bowed. “Let me prove myself, my Queen. Please … let me redeem myself,” Astra begged, choking the words out, barely stopping herself from crying.

Astra heard, rather than saw, the Queen rise from her throne and slowly descend the steps. Mara Sov placed a finger under Astra’s chin and tilted the kneeling Awoken’s head up. “Succeed in your mission, return with the head of a Vex Gate Lord … and I may restore your rank amongst my Awoken Royal Guard.”

“I will not fail you, my Queen … never again,” Astra swore, returning to her feet. She saluted, spun on her heel, strode out of the throne room.

That was how Astra found herself fighting alongside Valeriya and Rayina against waves of Vex. Valeriya stood out in the open, drawing most of the Vex’s attention, her auto rifle blasting the machines from a distance. If one of the Vex got too close, the female Titan merely cocked her arm back – Arc energy engulfing her fist – and punched the Vex, the machine dissolving into energy as it was destroyed. Rayina remained further back, crouched behind some cover, her hand cannon slowly picking off Vex. The female Warlock occasionally threw some of her grenades, the Firebolts burning the advancing Vex to ashes. Astra herself was furthest away, kneeling on the high ground and picking off the Vex with her sniper rifle. They were taking their time against the Vex, and not simply because there were so many enemies. The Vex were still a relatively new enemy to fight against and they were still learning what the machines could do and how they could effectively fight them.

They were making progress … it was just slower than what Astra would have liked. Was it impatience that drove her now? Or was it the excitement of her goal being so close tp being realized? What difference did it make now? Her goal – the same goal that drove her ever since she was brought back to life – was _so close_ to being fulfilled. Astra would _finally_ be able to redeem herself within the eyes of her Queen. It was just that they were taking _so long_ in even _getting_ to the Gate Lord. If Astra had her way, they would have already killed the Vex and returned to the Reef by now. But it _wasn’t_ up to Astra and they _weren’t_ on their way back to the Queen of the Awoken. And that _frustrated_ Astra beyond all reason … it _angered_ her far more than she ever was before. The three of them had faced down countless enemies before and emerged on top; fought against far greater numbers and still were never over run. So then why was it taking them so long?! What made the Vex any different than the Fallen or the Hive?! Gritting her teeth, the female Hunter discarded her weapon and jumped from her vantage point.

As her jump carried her through the air, Astra drew the knife sheathed at her side, Arc energy bursting from her body. The Awoken woman could feel the energy arcing along her body, sharpening the knife in her hand greater than any blade in existence. The activation of her Arc Blade carried her further through the air. Landing in front of Valeriya she took off at a run, her speed and agility increased tenfold. Having a blade in her hand had always felt natural to Astra; in fact, she preferred it whenever she could. A knife wasn’t as clunky or awkward as most guns were … it was small and sleek and in Astra’s hand it was elegant. She had always been fast; she had been the fastest trainee with a knife. She had always been a _Bladedancer_ , even before her resurrection as a Guardian.

The vast majority of Hunters preferred to stay at long range, channeling the power of their Light into their guns. These _Gunslingers_ burned their targets to ash with the power of their _Golden Gun_ … that style never suited Astra. The Arc energy surging through and along her body only increased her speed tenfold, making her little more than a blur. The Awoken Hunter didn’t merely slash her targets apart, didn’t merely sidestep her enemies’ attacks. She spun and wove around the Vex’s attacks, appearing as if she were dancing. Her blade found weak points; joints were dismembered as her blade sliced and stabbed cleanly through. It had always felt like she entered a trance whenever she activated Arc Blade, motions became instinct and time slipped away and soon enough the Arc energy was drained away. Here and now, though, it felt as if she tapped into an endless well of energy.

Before she knew it, the horde of Vex was nothing more than scrap, Valeriya and Rayina behind her as they stood before the last massive Vex Gate. Astra wasn’t sure what happened; one second there was only a swirling vortex of raw energy and then it was _there_ , a towering Vex easily three stories tall. It hadn’t stepped out of the gate like all the smaller Vex had … this Gate Lord – what else could it have been – seemingly _appeared_ out of nothing and with three long strides it was _on top of them_ bring a massive fist down upon them. Valeriya reacted first, rushing forward and slamming her own fists onto the ground, Arc energy exploding out around her. While it wasn’t enough to destroy the Gate Lord - not by any stretch of the word - it was enough to stagger the Vex backwards.

Rayina was the second to respond, leaping back and emptying the clip of her handcannon – it barely even scratched the Gate Lord. Astra slid beyond some cover, barely avoiding a blast from the Gate Lord’s main weapon, debris flying past her. The Awoken Hunter leaned out of her cover, seeing more Vex teleport in behind the Gate Lord while others stepped out of the massive gate. Valeriya remained out in the open; her auto rifle basting apart the Vex, yet even the Titan wouldn’t last long against the continuous firepower of the enemy. It just seemed so pointless … even as they destroyed one Vex another simply appeared to take its place. It all seemed impossible – how could there be an infinite number of Vex? Could the Gate Lord be pulling these other Vex unites? It seemed likely that was the case; however none of their weapons appeared to even dent the Gate Lord’s armor.

Valeriya rushed forward again, Arc energy pulsing along her body, yet the massive Vex merely kicked her. The Titan was sent hurtling through the air, impacting against a column and falling limply to the ground. The second Astra leaned out to fire her weapon, a Vex grenade exploded at her feet, the deafening blast blowing her off her feet. Astra struggled to push herself to her hands and knees even as the world spun around her. Rayina took a blast from the Gate Lord head-on, her limp and mangled body flying through the air. In that moment time slowed as all hope seemed lost. It appeared that it was all over, the Vex would overwhelm them. Their Light taken and consumed by the Darkness as they were killed. And then something completely unexpected happened.

Fire exploded out of Rayina’s body, and then she was upright, the Warlock’s body held aloft by fiery wings. Her Firebolt grenades raining down upon the advancing Vex, burning them to ash. Astra felt her own strength returning, Arc energy surging along her body once more. Together, she and the Warlock hammered away at the Gate Lord’s armor, stripping it of its defenses. Valeriya charged past the Awoken Hunter, once more slamming her fists onto the ground. The Arc energy exploded outwards around the Titan, this time the Gate Lord was unable to stand against the onslaught, and toppled over. It was done, it was finally done. Now they could return to the Reef with the head of the Gate Lord, and – more importantly – Astra would finally be able to redeem herself in the eyes of the Queen.

The trip back to the Reef was quicker than Astra had expected, the way to the throne room cleared. This time, the Awoken Hunter let Valeriya lead them, her own mind preoccupied with the possibility of what Mara Sov would do. “It is alive, and still has its ball,” they heard the Queen say from her throne. It still unnerved Astra that the Queen referred to the human Titan as an “ _it_.”

“There’s no shame in running away, Guardians,” Uldren remarked as he turned to face them. “Apart from the cowardice and failure, it’s an excellent strategy.”

“We didn’t run,” Valeriya explained, nodding to her Ghost. Out of thin air, the head of the Vex Gate Lord materialized above the steps, tumbling to the ground. “We need to find the Black Garden,” the Titan exclaimed.

“They don’t even know where it is,” Prince Uldren sniffed.

“Then tell them. Search the Gate Lord for that which gains them entrance.” Mara Sov’s voice brokered no argument.

“Why?” Uldren hissed, spinning to face his sister. “If you wish them dead, kill them here.”

The Queen merely gazed up at her brother, her face and voice betraying no emotion. “Often, when we guess at other’s motives, we reveal only our own.”

“My motive is simple loyalty,” Uldren responded, lowering himself to one knee. “To a people, a Queen, and a sister.”

“Then take what is required,” the Queen of the Reef said softly.

Prince Uldren didn’t respond. He returned to his feet and moved to the Gate Lord’s head. Drawing his knife, he drove it into the remains. He dug put the eye of the Vex. Straightening, he turned back to the Queen, that infernal smirk back on his face. “Dead. A wasted journey, it seems.”

Mara Sov, however, though differently, “Perhaps, but I think these ones are resourceful. We gift it, in sympathy to their Traveler.”

Uldren’s gaze narrowed as he returned his attention to the Guardians. “Mars, eighty-four north, thirty-two east, Meridian Bay,” he all but snarled, tossing the Gate Lord’s eye at them.

Valeriya easily caught it in her hand as Mara Sov rose from her throne. “I have shown benevolence, Guardians. Should the Awoken ever need an ally, I will call on you, and expect you to answer,” the Queen said.

It was both a warning and dismissal. Inclining their heads, Valeriya and Rayina turned and exited the throne room, leaving Astra behind. Astra waited several heartbeats, waiting for something else to happen. When it appeared that the Queen was not going to say anything else, Astra bowed her own head and turned to leave. “Astra,” Mara Sov’s voice stopped the Awoken Hunter in her tracks. “I have something for you.”

Turning back, one of the Awoken Royal Guards stood there, a set of armor held in her arms. It took Astra several seconds to recognize the Queen’s Guard armor, with a specialized Hunter’s cloak sitting atop. Unfurling the cloak, Astra stared at the symbol of the Queen emblazoned upon it. Tears gathered at the edges of her eyes. Was it finally happening? Was the Queen of the Reef accepting her back? Had she finally redeemed herself in the eyes of Mara Sov?

“I return that which you lost, Astra Stathos, Blade of the Queen’s Guard. Do not disappoint,” Mara Sov declared. Though she spoke softly, her proclamation rang within Astra’s ears.

Astra fastened the cloak about her shoulders, bowing low as she took the remaining armor from the Royal Guard. “I will never fail you again, my Queen.” Turning on her heel, Astra strode from the throne room.

Back in the hanger bay of the Reef, Valeriya and Rayina waited for her in front of their ships, yet something was different. Where Astra’s ship should have been, was completely different one. At first glance, the ship looked no different than the other ships the Awoken used, however there was a slight glow to it, light danced off the metal giving the appearance of moving water. Unable to hide the grin on her face, Astra settled herself in the cockpit of the _Hildian Seeker_ even as her Ghost replaced the armor she wore with the Queen’s Guard set. As they left the Reef behind them, Astra closed her eyes, seeking out the place at the back of her mind. Tears streamed from her eyes as she felt the comforting presence of the Queen, Mara Sov’s voice echoing in her mind, _“Welcome home, Astra.”_


End file.
